How fast is that? Fast enough to "rip water apart," send pebbles flying, and raise the temperature in the surrounding water to 5,000 to 10,000 Kelvin -- that's hotter than the surface of the sun, according to Hume. The snapping claw creates an air bubble, and when water rushes back into the void there's a loud popping noise.

Luckily, the Earth Unplugged guys were able to capture the snapping in slow-mo at an astounding rate of 10,000 frames per second.

This undated image provided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation shows Toola, a sea otter who died at the aquarium, Saturday March 3, 2012, in Monterey, Calif. Believed to be 15 or 16, Toola succumbed to natural causes and to the infirmities of age, an aquarium spokesman said. (AP Photo/Monterey Bay Aquarium)